Life After Graduation: Finding the Job of Your Dreams

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Finding a job after graduation can be difficult

By Dana Gomi
Contributor


It is hard to go to college and do well, but it is even harder once you graduate and have to find a full-time job in the field you have been working toward your whole collegiate career. Some students were lucky to land internships that push them even closer to the job of their dreams, but even that does not mean they will be able to find a job in their field. Even with the help of career counselors and resume classes, it seems students still have a rough time finding a working life after graduation, let alone a working life they want.


“For me, it was not hard getting a job after graduating," notes Sal Scotto-Lavino, 23, who graduated from Stony Brook University with a BA in Psychology. "Because I started doing research at Stony Brook, I met with Dr. McGlockin and worked for her voluntarily for a year. I am working for her full-time while I am going to school for my Masters at Dowling. I am going to get my Masters in regular education and Special Education for grades 1 through 6. I hope to be a teacher in a public school."


Sal was one of the lucky students who met the right people, worked with someone in his field and got a full-time job while continuing his education. But for other students, it is a struggle to even be considered for a position without experience and even when you are in the running, it still takes a while just to get called for an interview.


"It is pretty frustrating but you got to keep plugging away, keep sending your resume," said Paul Careccia, 23, an alumni of Marist College with a BS in Information Technology. “I know a friend who works at WBLI-FM and I was lucky and got an internship there. I updated software, fixed sound problems, installing memory in computers, whatever my boss needed me to do. After working there for a few days, I got a call from a that I applied to weeks ago. Interning at WBLI helped me get this job."


It is not easy trying to find the job you want for the rest of your life, let alone get a job that will pay you well. Once you graduate, it is even difficult to start the process of simply looking for a job. In alot of ways, there is more effort to looking for work than actually doing work.
Your resume must be sent, often several times, followed by a long wait for a call. You find the necessity to hound various Human Resources departments, simply trying to get an idea of where you stand. It is a complicated process that many students are not aware of until they find themselves deeply involved in.


“Trying to get a job in my field was tough. The economy was still going downhill and I didn’t have any sales experience. I was lucky to even get a summer internship doing promotions for The Long Island Ducks to start getting some experience towards the job that I wanted to do," notes Steve Smith, 24, a graduate of Umass with a BS in Sports Managment. "Once that internship was over, I went back to retail. It took me 18 months to even get a job in my field and if I didn’t get that second internship with The Ducks, I don’t think I would have gotten my current job with The New York Islanders."


Another problem that plagues many students is that they often realize the things that they need for the job they want after they graduate, leaving a slue of mistakenly missed opportunities behind them. Students are often ill-prepared to enter the job market, as they are not adequately filled in on the intricacies of the job-hunting process or given any solid tips for success.


"When I graduated, I came back home and started temping because I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take me to get a job," said Marisa Laag, 24 from Hauppauge. "I began submitting my resume to places in June and got a job in August. I think that was pretty fast, but a lot of people wait around for months."


The moral of the story here is that no matter what odds they might face, students need to just keep trying. Hard work will more than likely pay off, despite how bleak the picture might seem at the time. It is important for students to be aware of the arduous process that most likely awaits them after graduation and take steps now to prepare themselves for it. Perseverance is the key, along with making sure you are armed with all the necessary knowledge. Speak to counselors, ask questions of department heads and you will be ready to seek out that career of your dreams.




Photo credit: www.obtainingemployment.com